


A Little Bit of Treble

by Alimator



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Father-Son Relationship, Fencing References, Fluff and Angst, Gabriel is an idiot to Nathalie sometimes, Minor GabNath, Musical References, father-son bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-22
Updated: 2020-04-22
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:55:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23786689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alimator/pseuds/Alimator
Summary: Hawkmoth releases an Akuma that plays to Chat Noir's hobbies and he gets a bit suspicious.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth/Nathalie Sancoeur
Comments: 3
Kudos: 78





	A Little Bit of Treble

**Author's Note:**

> I apologise in advance to people who don’t understand music and or fencing, it shouldn't take away from the main plotline if you don't though. I also apologise to those of you who are more knowledgeable than I am in either area and I’m explaining or portraying something incorrectly. I hope that doesn't discourage you too much and that you enjoy this fic!

Another Akuma attack. Secretly Chat Noir enjoyed them. He enjoyed the adrenaline and the freedom that came with fighting a supervillain every second day. It was a juxtaposition compared to his strict life as a model. With his father always breathing down his neck and Nathalie there to enforce his orders he rarely got freedom at all. 

He jumped from roof to roof in the direction of the Akuma. The wind rippled through his air, a cool blast on his face. Every so often he'd close his eyes and embrace the fresh air that encircled him. It was intoxicating. 

The Akuma on the menu today was surprisingly good looking compared to the garish eyesores that normally would terrorise the city. She wore a white suit with black musical notes embossed on it. The only fantastical thing on her was a Cyclops type visor that wrapped around her eyes. Obviously, that's where the Akuma was placed. It was smart, classy. He quite liked it. Maybe his father could design something like it for him? The suit, not the visor. Not that he'd mind though, he was a fan of Xmen.

The villain seemed to be weaponless, but as Chat watched he found that she was able to conjure up massive notes to use as swords. She even drew out a quaver rest using the top bit like a handle and shooting little semibreves out like bullets. 

Very smart. 

The Akuma not only had style but had brains to go with it. Unlike Hawkmoth’s regulars who were blinded by their anger, this Akuma seemed to be calm and composed, like a musical James Bond. If Chat was to be completely honest with himself he thought she was kinda cool. 

“Hola! Soy Chat Noir. What's your name?” He asked in a high pitched voice imitating Dora. Ladybug hadn’t turned up to the scene yet and he might as well buy them some time; plus he had always wanted to say that in a serious situation.

“It’s Diminuendo, Kitty and you’ve said enough.” she swung the eighth rest gun in his direction causing semibreve bullets to fly in an arc hitting any bystander within range. When each bullet hit it played a different note of Nocturne in C sharp major. You’d expect a cacophony of noise, but it ended up playing the piece perfectly and the Adrien in Chat Noir couldn’t help but enjoy it. 

“Diminuendo,” Chat repeated, “Ha, I get it! Cause you’ll diminish us. That's quite smart actually,” he chuckled at the musical joke whilst dodging the bullets. 

“Oh, so you know something about music, do you Chat?”

“Actually, I play the piano. I’m rather good at it.”

-/-

Hawkmoth was listening in on their conversation through Diminuendo. Hawkmoth watched Mayura release an Akuma and they watched the feather float off into the chaos. He felt confident about today's Akuma. Chat Noir was right, she was smart. Not hotheaded like his previous Akuma. He was proud of his creation. He and Mayura were quite comfortable to watch the battle from where they were posted, in the lair. They had some faith in this one. 

He paused at what Chat Noir said. ‘Actually, I play the piano. I’m rather good at it.’ He stopped and listened. Adrien was supposed to be practising the piano right now, however, he couldn't hear the soft tinkle of notes flowing from his room. He frowned suspiciously. 

“Mayura, can you go check on Adrien. Make sure he's practising,” Mayura looked at him quizzically, wondering what was going on in that mind of his. She saw no need to check on Adrien, he had always kept to himself during Akuma attacks and kept himself safe as far as she was concerned. Unless Hawkmoth or Hawkmoth's Akuma had directly targeted the blonde he had not come in harm's way. However, Mayura wasn't one to go against her bosses requests and dropped her transformation with a sigh. She heads towards the elevator, leaving Hawkmoth alone.

She exited the elevator and made her way up the stairs towards Adrien's room. The gentle click of her heels against the cool marble soothed her. It was hard to breathe in the Agreste mansion, there was always a thick tension that hung in the air. She was constantly stressed. It was the little things, she thought. The little things that she would enjoy throughout her day. Like the sound of Adrien playing the piano, his fingers gracefully stroking the keys, putting together a lulling melody. Nathalie frowned. Adrien should be practising his piano, but not a sound was coming from his room. 

Quickening her pace she reached Adrien's room and entered without knocking. The grand piano sat in the centre of the room, but there was no sign of Adrien. Nathalie checked the bathroom and his bed, upstairs in his library, but there was no sign of the blonde. From where she was perched on the library platform she let her gaze sweep the room looking for anything out of place. That was odd, Adrien had left his phone on top of the piano. It was unlike him, especially if he was going to go run around the city by himself. She grabbed the phone and switched it on. A two hour piano track was on the screen and had played through its entirety. She couldn't help but wonder how many times she had pulled this gig on them. Sneaking off whilst he had classes and putting a recording on to fool them. She made a mental note to check up on him more regularly. The boy obviously had faith in the fact that they were both too busy to pay him mind. 

Nathalie reached the lair to find Hawkmoth staring intently off into space. By space, she knew he was watching the battle through his connection with the Akuma. 

“Gabriel,” she addressed him by his civilian name. He turned quickly sensing something was wrong, “Adrien’s not in his room,” she held up the boy's phone for his father to see the track that he had been playing on it, “I assume he’s fooled us with this many times before.”

“Then where the hell is he?” Hawkmoth dropped his transformation. A look of panic flashed in his eyes. 

“I don’t know, sir.”

“Shit,” he looked behind him and out into the city of Paris, “Adrien, where are you?”

-/-

“Hi kitty, sorry I’m late,” she swung her yoyo in circles using it as a shield, deflecting the musical bullets with ease. 

“No treble at all My Lady,” she only rolled her eyes. 

“Status report?” Ladybug prompted.

“A cacatphony,” Ladybug groaned, “she's strong and she's good. Probably one of Hawkmoth's best. Diminuendo knows what she's doing.”

“Diminuendo?” She questioned. Marinette wasn't musical in any way, there was not a single musical bone in her body, “Weird name.”

“No actually-” A tuba sounded somewhere nearby, but it was deafeningly loud. Windows shattered at the sound. It was indeed a tuba, a gigantic one. 

Ladybug cursed, “I’ll take the Sentimonster, you focus on the Akuma.”

“That's my forte!” He grinned and gave her two thumbs up. She gave him a ‘seriously?’ look and swung off, “I don't understand why she doesn't like my jokes. They're pretty purrfect if you ask me,” he grumbled.

-/-

The battle was in full swing. Ladybug was busy fighting the giant tuba, whenever it blew the sound would know her back and cause considerable collateral damage to buildings that surrounded them. 

Chat Noir was kept on his toes with the Akuma. Maybe he could have a bit of fun.

“You want to fight Mademoiselle? Then let's fight properly,” he brandished his baton and got into the En-garde position.

“Ah, a formidable opponent. Fencing and piano, you’re one busy kitty!” She exclaimed copying his stance and drawing out a treble clef from thin air. She held the round bit at the bottom like a handle and the loop at the top pointed at him. However, it gleamed suspiciously like a knife would and he assumed it was very sharp.

“That I am,” he took two steps towards her and she retreated. He paused, but that was all it took for her to gain the right of way and come to attack. It was kind of stupid that they were fencing in battle when they could be seriously attacking each other, not giving a damn about who got right of way, but they obviously both fenced and were having great fun. Chat Noir had challenged Diminuendo to a duel and who was she to decline?

Both fencers were good, tactically attacking and defending. Diminuendo used an appel (a fencing move where you stamp your foot on the ground to make a noise to surprise the opponent) to startle him which normally wouldn't have been effective but instead of a soft thud of her foot against cobble, a loud crash cymbal sounded making him jump and lose his balance. 

“Hey, not fair!” he shouted, quickly regaining his composure so that Diminuendo didn't have the chance to take too much advantage. 

The villain shrugged but gave him an evil grin.

-/-

“Where could he have gone?” Gabriel and Nathalie sat on opposite sides in two plush chairs inside the atelier. The poor seats were hardly used as neither had time to relax. 

“To see his friends?” Nathalie offered, but Gabriel's frown just deepened. 

“When Chat Noir was fighting Diminuendo he told her that he was very good at piano. He understood what her name implied,” Nathalie's eyebrows raised. She didn't understand the name herself, she seriously thought it was a load of garbage Gabriel had strung together to make a name. 

“Wait,” Gabriel couldn't seriously be implying… “No. It's not possible, we've proven on multiple occasions that Chat a Noir is not Adrien.”

“I know, but it makes complete sense,” he looked desperate, almost as if he hoped it was Adrien so they could stop searching. 

“Gabriel, Chat Noir could be any teenage boy that played the piano in Paris. Paris, a city of over two million people, sir.

“Well, not necessarily-”

“Sir,” she said sternly, “he is not Chat Noir. If it will quell your worries we’ll wait in Adrien's room immediately after the attack, if he comes swinging through the window and de transforms into Adrien I’ll work for free for a month.”

“I don't want your money Nathalie,” Gabriel scoffed. He didn't need her money, he had more than enough of his own.

“It's not my money, it's your money that you would give to me,” Nathalie explained pointedly.

“I must admit, it's a good way to guarantee whether he's Chat Noir or not. We have a deal,” he nodded in her direction. 

They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes before something crossed Nathalie’s mind.

“Gabriel,” she said.

“Hmm?” he hummed

“What will you do if he is Chat Noir?”

“I was just thinking about that,” he beamed. Nathalie didn't think it was a smiling matter, “we could use him to get Ladybug’s miraculous! He can't say no, he’ll want to help us get Emilie back.”

She stood up abruptly, Gabriel looked up at her with a surprised expression on his face. 

“No.” she exclaimed bluntly glaring down at him.

“What do you mean Nathalie?” He stood up as well and because of his considerable height he was looking down on her now, “do you not want Emilie to come back?” The spite in his voice made her flinch.

“You and I both know that I did not mean it that way,” she retorted with equal venom, “but I will not allow you to use Adrien for this.”

“You are not his mother Nathalie,” he growled.

“Don't be absurd Gabriel. You will not use Adrien and he will not say yes to you.”

“Back off Nathalie.”

“I beg your pardon, Gabriel?” She was starting to get annoyed now, there was only so much she could take from him, “I care about Adrien as much as you do and you know what, I’ve been the only one actually caring for him since Emilie's death,” Gabriel tried to interrupt, but she kept going, “I have been there. Me! I’ve been there for you, for Adrien and for this damned company every single step of the damn way. He will never agree with you because if you haven't noticed he cares for other people. He is a good person, Gabriel, unlike you and me. He is the nicest boy I know and he will not betray his city. Whether you believe it or not he has moved the hell on from Emilie. She's dead and gone to him and he's accepted that. Maybe you should too! He’ll never work with you because Chat Noir hates Hawkmoth, you've been terrorising Paris for two years and fighting him. Adrien hates you!” Her eyes went wide and she clamped her hands over her mouth, regretting the last sentence even as the words escaped her lips. She shouldn't have said that. She should not have said that. 

Gabriel sunk into his seat. He rubbed his temples with one hand whilst the other clenched the armrest of the seat, his knuckles turning almost white. She was surprised that he hadn't shouted her out of the house or fired her or both… yet.

“Gabriel, I’m sorry, I didn't mean to say-” The Agreste held his hand up for her to stop and she immediately snapped her mouth shut. After a minute of tense silence, he spoke.

“You're right.” Shit, she broke Gabriel, “I don't know what I was thinking,” was he concussed, “I’m being selfish,” he laughed. Definitely broken, she needed to get him to a hospital, “I don’t even love Emilie.”

“What?” it came out so abruptly, without her brain even activating.

“She's gone. I hardly remember what she was like anymore. I fell out of love with her a while ago, I think,” Gabriel looked up at his assistant who was giving him the widest eyes. He chuckled, she looked cute. He gave a soft smile and sighed, “I think we’ll stick with our plan to see if Adrien's Chat Noir, but I’m giving up. Can we not tell Adrien? I can't bear to see his reaction. I don't want to lose him.” She gave him a silent nod. Then she did something that surprised them both. She wrapped her arms around him and held him tight in a hug. Gabriel only smiled and returned it, albeit hesitantly. 

They stayed like that for a while, both more than happy to be in the other's arms. Nathalie was the first to pull away.

“We should retrieve the Akuma and Amok.”

“Of course,” he stood up and took her hand, much to her surprise. They held each other's hand the whole time. They held hands whilst going to the lair, retrieving the Akuma and Amok, coming back and then they sat close together on the couch in Adrien's room as they waited for him to come home. 

-/-

The villain was gaining on him. The Akuma enhanced fencer was a much tougher opponent than he had ever faced. Then just as he thought she was going to slash him to shreds she dropped to her knees cringing as the dark magic escaped from her body revealing a purified white butterfly that floated gently to freedom. 

The girl was probably his age, though he had never seen her before and doubted she went to his school. She wore glasses much like his fathers, but clear plastic rimmed. Her jet black hair was cut short and she indeed wore a rather classy pantsuit. She was most likely straight from a rehearsal. 

Her glasses fell off her face and on instinct he grabbed them just before they touched the ground. Chat Noir offered them back to her gently, she received them with a smile and a nod of gratitude. 

“Do you remember anything?” She shook her head as many victims had done when he had asked them the same question before, “Well, I can tell you that you're a very good fencer, it was a pleasure to fight you.”

“Thank you,” the girl looked flustered and looked away.

“Chat! There you are. What happened?” She looked at the girl and then back at him, “the amok was just purified by itself I didn't touch it!”

“No idea My Lady, though I must say it did interrupt a very enjoyable fencing match, however, I was about to be killed so I’m grateful,” Ladybug looked at him with both confusion and worry on her face. 

“Well, it's been a long day I think we both deserve a break.”

“Oui, I agree,” he looked at her contemplatively, “Pound it?”

Ladybug shrugged, “Pound it,” their fists bumped.

-/-

Chat Noir swung into his bedroom and landed with a soft thud.

“Plagg, claws in,” his transformation dropped it a green flash. It was an odd feeling, being stripped of so much power so quickly, but his body quickly got used to it. He sighed loudly.

“Long day?” Adrien snapped his head around at the sound of his father’s deep voice. His eyes widened. This couldn't be happening, how did they figure him out, what had he done wrong?  
Nathalie and Gabriel sat comfortably together on the white sofa in the centre of his room. If it wasn't a time of crisis he'd say that they looked cute together.

“Shit. Father you aren’t supposed to see this.”

“Wasn't I?” The older Agreste stood up cocking his head at his son. 

“I can explain-”

Gabriel held up his hand and shushed Adrien, much like he had done with Nathalie, “I don't need your explanation, Adrien. As I’m sure you’ll agree a Nathalie and I already know too much. All I will say Adrien is that I’m proud of you, I’m proud to be the father of Chat Noir. I’m honoured that my son has been saving the city every day albeit missing some classes because of it,” he glanced at the piano to emphasise his point and Adrien smiled sheepishly, “I’m honoured to have a son that is so kind, generous, loving and caring that he was chosen to protect my city from danger. I am privileged to be living under the same roof as you are and I hope one day I can be one-tenth of how good you are. I’m so proud of you son and I’m sorry that it took me realising that you were Chat Noir to see it. I love you, Adrien.”

Adrien was crying, sobbing freely at the words his father had just said. Those were the words he had dreamed of hearing come out of his mouth for such a long time. For him to say that he was proud of him, that he loved him; it meant everything to Adrien. 

Gabriel smiled warmly and hugged his son tightly, letting Adrien cry into his chest. 

Nathalie stood and watched this beautiful moment with equal joy. This was really what she had been working towards. She had been trying for two years to make the Agreste family whole again by getting Emilie back when all she needed to do was get Gabriel to accept his son, to be a father again. This was a proper family.

“I love you too Father and you too Nathalie,” now both Agreste's were looking towards Nathalie. She had no clue what to do. Gabriel looked at her lovingly and opened his arms to her, as did Adrien. Nathalie was swooped into the hug and she embraced it. 

This was family.

**Author's Note:**

> I literally wrote half this fic at a normal time yesterday and then wrote the rest at 11:00 pm, it's now 1:00 am. I have problems.


End file.
